Indeed, absolutely nothing has changed in Gregson-Williams' ingredients for The Equalizer 2 except for a swapping of the vaguely Russian instrumental tones in the first score with distorted female vocal inflections here placed in the back of the mix, a logical switch given the differences in plot. Disappointingly, there is nothing else of significance altered between the scores, the two playing in total synchrony with each other at every moment. In both works, the environment develops from one of solemn piano lamentation to butt-kicking, rhythmic electric guitar victory, and the same progression occurs in the sequel, the soft reflection of "McCall's Return" emulating "Alone" and the second half of "Top of the Tower" loyally reprising the highlighted rhythmic and electric cello thematic performance presented in "The Equalizer" during the previous score. A solid but redundant summary of the McCall theme closes out The Equalizer 2 in the brief but vaguely satisfying "Who Are You?" Perhaps it should come as no surprise that there is absolutely nowhere for the music to evolve in this franchise, as McCall certainly doesn't. He may be staring at a different view at the end of the sequel, but his alienation and disillusionment remains the same. Gregson-Williams' theme remains moderately attractive and appropriate, but there need to be something more than identical recapitulations of its personality here, even if that difference over time is subtle. The composer struggles to move that emotional bar a notch higher with his own piano performances in "McCall Mourns Susan," and nothing much comes of it. Likewise, the action sequences don't really start to engage until the hurricane sequence at the end, at which point the string section starts to kick up some legitimate dust. Even here, the drama of the storm as a backdrop is not reflected by the limited scope of the score's orchestral presence. (Some brass touches would have been appreciated in these passages rather than harsh synth tones.) But the remaining music is ambient droning outside of "Destroying the Evidence," which offers a peek at some of the rhythmic sophistication desired in the rest of the score. An interesting, simple three-note motif of suspense in that cue goes underdeveloped in others, too. On the plus side, the grating, dissonant synthetic element seems slightly dialed back here, the environment relying a bit more on tonal appeal. Overall, the shorter, 43-minute album for this score is surely sufficient and can be combined by concept enthusiasts with the first movie's soundtrack for a seamless experience. For other listeners, there's little reason to explore this conservatively rendered, often depressing thriller score, as even the thematic highlights offer no memorably unique characteristics.  **   @Amazon.com: CD or Download